IELTS Simon

IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following article about the effects of television on young children.

Watching television makes toddlers fatter and stupider at primary school, according to new research. Scientists who tracked the progress of pre-school children found that the more television they watched the worse they were at mathematics, the more junk food they ate, and the more they were bullied by other pupils.

The findings, which support earlier evidence indicating television harms cognitive development, prompted calls for the Government to set limits on how much children should watch. American paediatricians advise that under-twos should not watch any television and that older children should view one to two hours a day at most. France has banned shows aimed at under-threes, and Australia recommends that three to five year-olds watch no more than an hour a day. Britain has no official advice.

Researchers said that pre-school is a critical time for brain development and that TV watching displaced time that could be spent engaging in "developmentally enriching tasks". Even incremental exposure to TV delayed development, said the lead author Dr Linda Pagani, of Montreal University.
(The Independent)

According to the article, are these statements TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN?

1. Scientists believe that there is a link between the amount of television young children watch and their mental ability.
2. Shows aimed at under-twos are banned in the USA.
3. Children’s television programming is more strictly controlled in France than in Britain.

IELTS Vocabulary: from this week's lessons

Here are some of the useful words and phrases from this week's lessons. Remember that you need to be able to use this vocabulary, not just understand it.

• the cost of living
• property prices
• pay a deposit and a mortgage
• a better quality of life
• families are becoming smaller and more dispersed
• rely on / depend on / count on
• transport infrastructure
• populated areas
• growth / development / expansion
• open-minded and welcoming
• the mix of cultures that immigration and tourism bring
• cosmopolitan
• benefit from someone with local knowledge
• character and customs of the local people

IELTS Advice: the wrong idea

Many students (and some teachers!) have the wrong idea about what a band 7, 8 or 9 essay looks like. For example, a few people commented that they thought the essay in this lesson wasn't good enough for a high score.

Please remember that the IELTS exam is a test for non-native speakers of English, not professional English writers. It's much easier than some people think to write a good IELTS essay. Don't try to use strange or 'difficult' language; just keep it clear and simple, and try to develop your ideas so that you fully answer the question.

Some people won't want to believe me, but the essay in Wednesday's lesson would get a band 9.

IELTS Speaking: 'hospitality' topic

1. In your country, how do people treat visitors from abroad?

I think we treat visitors well. People in the UK are very open-minded and welcoming, and we enjoy the mix of cultures that immigration and tourism bring. Most UK cities, for example, are really cosmopolitan, and you can meet visitors from every part of the world.

2. Do you think hospitality towards visitors is less important than it was in the past?

In my city, maybe it’s true that hospitality is less important nowadays, but that’s only because we are so used to seeing visitors from different countries, so we treat it as a normal part of life and nothing too special.

3. What are the advantages of staying with a friend compared to staying in a hotel when visiting a foreign country?

If you stay with a friend, you benefit from someone with local knowledge of the best places to visit. You can also get to know the character and customs of the local people, and for me, this is one of the most interesting aspects of a visit to another country. On the other hand, if you stay in a hotel, you are forced to discover the new place on your own, so it’s more of an adventure.

IELTS Writing Task 1: map essay

Here is a band 9 answer for this question:

The map shows the growth of a village called Chorleywood between 1868 and 1994.

It is clear that the village grew as the transport infrastructure was improved. Four periods of development are shown on the map, and each of the populated areas is near to the main roads, the railway or the motorway.

From 1868 to 1883, Chorleywood covered a small area next to one of the main roads. Chorleywood Park and Golf Course is now located next to this original village area. The village grew along the main road to the south between 1883 and 1922, and in 1909 a railway line was built crossing this area from west to east. Chorleywood station is in this part of the village.

The expansion of Chorleywood continued to the east and west alongside the railway line until 1970. At that time, a motorway was built to the east of the village, and from 1970 to 1994, further development of the village took place around motorway intersections with the railway and one of the main roads.

Don't just read this essay once. Spend some time analysing it:

• In what order did I describe the information shown on the map?
• What information did I choose for paragraphs 3 and 4?
• What good vocabulary does the essay contain?

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'independence' question

Some people think that in the modern world we are more dependent on each other, while others think that people have become more independent.
 Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

People have different views about whether we are more or less dependent on others nowadays. In my view, modern life forces us to be more independent than people were in the past.

There are two main reasons why it could be argued that we are more dependent on each other now. Firstly, life is more complex and difficult, especially because the cost of living has increased so dramatically. For example, young adults tend to rely on their parents for help when buying a house. Property prices are higher than ever, and without help it would be impossible for many people to pay a deposit and a mortgage. Secondly, people seem to be more ambitious nowadays, and they want a better quality of life for their families. This means that both parents usually need to work full-time, and they depend on support from grandparents and babysitters for child care.

However, I would agree with those who believe that people are more independent these days. In most countries, families are becoming smaller and more dispersed, which means that people cannot count on relatives as much as they used to. We also have more freedom to travel and live far away from our home towns. For example, many students choose to study abroad instead of going to their local university, and this experience makes them more independent as they learn to live alone. Another factor in this growing independence is technology, which allows us to work alone and from any part of the world.

In conclusion, while there are some reasons to believe that people now depend on each other more, my own view is that we are more independent than ever.

Note:
As usual, try to analyse this essay in terms of task response (does it fully answer the question?), organisation, 'band 7-9' vocabulary, and grammar.

IELTS Listening: multiple choice

My students found the following question quite difficult. It comes from Cambridge IELTS 6, page 14.

You will hear a conversation between Brian and his tutor.
What is Brian going to do before the course starts?

A) attend a class
B) write a report
C) read a book

Click here to listen

Note:
In the recording I am reading both parts of the conversation (Brian / Tutor). In the real test, you will hear two different voices.

IELTS Reading: another keyword table

Here's a table of key vocabulary from Cambridge IELTS 8 (test 1, passage 1).

Remember that there are always words in the passage that are similar to words in the questions. If you find the similar words, you've found the answers.

IELTS Advice: I should have been more direct

In Thursday's lesson I said that "you don't need to write a conclusion" for task 1.

I've realised that I should have been more direct with this advice. I should have said "you should not write a conclusion for writing task 1".

English speakers are sometimes too tactful when giving advice. We find it hard to say "you should" or "you must"!

IELTS Speaking Part 3: 'hospitality' topic

As I'm currently on a work trip in another country (China), I thought it would be appropriate to look at the following 'part 3' questions:

1. In your country, how do people treat visitors from abroad?
2. Do you think hospitality towards visitors is less important than it was in the past?
3. What are the advantages of staying with a friend compared to staying in a hotel when visiting a foreign country?

The advice in this lesson will help to make longer, better answers. I'll show you my example answers next week.

IELTS Writing Task 2: really short conclusion!

It's fine to write a really short conclusion for IELTS writing task 2. You don't need to say anything new; just paraphrase what you wrote in your introduction or summarise your overall answer to the question. For example, read last week's question and my introduction, then read my short conclusion below.

In conclusion, I disagree with the idea that early technologies had more of an effect on ordinary people than recent ones.

IELTS Reading: gap-fill from a useful website

The articles used in the IELTS reading test often come from magazines like The Economist or The New Scientist. Why not practise for the exam by reading articles from these magazines?

Here are a few paragraphs from an article about the use of wireless communications to improve health care. I've made it into a gap-fill exercise.

Fill the gaps with one of the following words: cutting, advances, track, coming, empower, chief, developing

Pundits have long predicted that ______ in genetics will usher in a golden age of individually tailored therapies. But in fact it is much lower-tech wireless devices and internet-based health software that are precipitating the mass customisation of health care, and creating entirely new business models in the process.

The hope is that nimble new technologies, from smart-phones to health-monitoring devices, will ______ patients and doctors, and thus improve outcomes while ______ costs. The near ubiquity of mobile phones is the ______ reason to think this optimistic scenario may come true. Patients with smart-phones can certainly benefit from interactive “wellness” applications that track diet, exercise and vital signs.

Many companies are ______ up with “home health” devices embedded with wireless technology. Some are overtly clinical in nature: Medtronic, a devices giant, is ______ a bedside monitor that wirelessly tracks the blood sugar levels in diabetic children sleeping nearby. GE has come up with “body sensor networks”, tiny wireless devices that ______ the vital signs of those who wear them.

Full article: Apr 8th 2010, From The Economist

IELTS Grammar: correct the mistakes

Find and correct the mistake in each of the sentences below:

1. Technology allowed the growing of factories.
2. Parents should be more conscious on their children’s online activities.
3. The Internet allows people from all over the world to involve in discussions about current events.

I'll put my answers in the "comments" area tomorrow.

IELTS Writing Task 1: add a comparison

In last week's video lesson I followed some easy steps to build the following sentence:

The number of Japanese tourists who travelled abroad increased dramatically from just under 5 million to around 15 million between 1985 and 1995, a rise of about 10 million in 10 years.

The next step after writing this sentence about Japanese tourists would be to add a comparison with tourists from the other countries shown on the graph or chart. Let's use the chart below as an example (numbers represent millions of tourists who travelled abroad).

Here's my original sentence about Japan, with a comparison sentence about Australia and Canada. Look carefully at how I construct the comparison sentence. If you want a good score in writing task 1, these are the kinds of sentences that you need to be able to write!

The number of Japanese tourists who travelled abroad increased dramatically from just under 5 million to around 15 million between 1985 and 1995, a rise of about 10 million in 10 years. By contrast, the number of Australians who visited other countries remained stable, at just over 7 million, and the figure for Canada fell slightly, from 6 million travellers in 1985 to 5.5 million in 1995.

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'while' introductions

If you want to mention both sides of the argument for an "agree or disagree" question, try including a 'while' sentence in your introduction.

Here's the 'while' sentence formula:
"While I accept argument A, I favour argument B"

Here's an example question:

Early technological developments helped ordinary people and changed their lives more than recent developments. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Here's my introduction:

Technological progress has taken place throughout the course of human history. While early technologies certainly changed the lives of normal people, I believe that recent breakthroughs have had an even greater impact.

Note:
The 'while' sentence makes it clear that I favour one side of the argument, but it allows me to mention both sides in the main body of my essay.

IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following text and answer true, false or not given.

Coffee consumption has been shown to have minimal or no impact, positive or negative, on cancer development. However, researchers involved in an ongoing 22-year study by the Harvard School of Public Health state that "the overall balance of risks and benefits [of coffee consumption] are on the side of benefits."

Other studies suggest coffee consumption reduces the risk of being affected by Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, cirrhosis of the liver, and gout. A longitudinal study in 2009 showed that those who consumed a moderate amount of coffee or tea (3–5 cups per day) at midlife were less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer's disease in late-life compared with those who drank little coffee or avoided it altogether.

1. Scientists have linked coffee consumption to accelerated cancer development.
2. Some scientists believe that the benefits of drinking coffee outweigh the drawbacks.
3. Recent research links coffee consumption with a reduced risk of some illnesses.

Some news from Simon

I'm travelling to China today, and I'll be there for the next couple of weeks. The reason for my trip is not IELTS-related this time; I'll be attending some education conferences and meetings for my other job (Director of English for this summer school).

I'll do my best to keep the daily lessons going while I'm away!

IELTS Advice: for speaking and writing

Did you notice that I used "firstly, secondly, finally" in my speaking lesson yesterday?

For speaking parts 2 and 3, it might help if you imagine you are writing a paragraph: start with a direct answer, then either use "firstly, secondly, (finally)" to give two or three reasons, or use the explain, alternative, example technique if you only have one idea.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: sample answer

Here's the question we've been looking at in recent weeks:

Describe a subject that you think should be removed from school education programmes. You should say

- what the subject is
- why you think it is unnecessary for children to study it
- and explain what you would replace it with.

Here's my sample answer with band 7-9 vocabulary underlined:

• I’m going to suggest that art could be taken out of the school curriculum. In my experience, art lessons at school tend to include drawing, painting, and the making of collages using paper, fabric and other household materials.
• There are a few reasons why I think that school art lessons are unnecessary. Firstly, I don’t believe that drawing and painting are essential skills that children will need when they leave school. Children might find these activities enjoyable, but it’s unlikely that they will need them in the working world. Secondly, children can draw, paint and make collages in their own time at home; parents can encourage this, and they can even join in. Finally, remembering my own art lessons at school, I don’t think we learnt any real art skills; the teachers left us to draw or create things, but they didn’t provide much technical instruction.
• Instead of art lessons, children could do more work on core subjects like maths, science or language. These subjects are more likely to help children in later life when they enter the job market, and I think both children and their teachers would benefit if more time were devoted to them.

IELTS Writing Task 1: sentence building

The following video lesson contains a useful exercise to help you build longer sentences when describing graphs and charts.

IELTS Writing Task 2: another example

Here's another example of a "firstly, secondly, finally" paragraph that I wrote with my students:

Three main factors are affecting health in modern societies. One problem is the lack of awareness among many people of the negative consequences of an unhealthy diet. This is made worse by the prevalence of fast food and processed food, which are full of fat, salt and sugar. Another key factor is the changing trend in lifestyles. For example, children’s hobbies now involve much less outdoor activity, and adults are less active as jobs have shifted towards sedentary office work instead of manual labour. In addition to this, time-saving technologies, such as cars, elevators, dishwashers and washing machines, have made people lazier.

Analyse the paragraph by answering the following questions.

1. What is the main topic of the paragraph?
2. Which phrases are used instead of "firstly, secondly, finally"?
3. What examples of 'band 7-9' vocabulary can you find?

IELTS Listening: 'future jobs' lecture

Here's another interesting TED video. Please remember that this type of listening is more difficult than IELTS, so don't worry if you need to turn the subtitles on. Try to understand the overall message, and pick up some new phrases if you can.

IELTS Reading: more keywords

My students and I did a quick exercise from the general reading test on page 109 of Cambridge IELTS book 9. It's a good example of the importance of searching for 'keywords'.

Here's our keyword table:

IELTS Advice: don't just test yourself

An important message in yesterday’s lesson was this: when preparing for IELTS, you need to do more than just test yourself. Testing will show you what your current level is, but it won’t take you up to the next level. If you want your score to improve, you need to do more training than testing.

IELTS Speaking Advice: how to practise part 2

Here's this week's video lesson: